Method of lay-down for printing operations



Nov. 23, 1943. H. BLAAUBOER ETAL 2,334,745

METHOD OF LAYDOWN FOR PRINTING OPERATIONS Filed Oct. 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Harald BZaauZaer J "ac7a CaJz/n L ATTORNEYS Nov 255, 1943. H. BLAAUBOER Ef AL 2,334,745

METHOD OF LAYDOWN FOR PRINTING OPERATIONS Filed Oct. 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Ezra/c2 BZaauZoer Wfkm 1w ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 23, 1943 I ais n F LAY-DOWN FOR PRIN'HNQ: QPEJBATIQNS.

Harold Blaauboer, Jamaica, and Jack Cahn, New

York, N. Y., assignors to AlcoeGravure Division of PublicationCorporation, New Y rk, N. Y., a corporaticnof- New York An m tio Oct b 1940, r l, N 593579 8 Claims. (01. 95-531) This invention-relates to the preparation of printing cylinders or rolls and relates particularly to methods for assembling layouts to, be used in the preparation of printing cylinders or rolls for use in multicolor p'rintingoperations.

In accordance with the prior practice, it is usual in preparing such'printing cylinders to. make color separation negatives of the subject matter to be reproduced and from these negatives to make separation positives.

Inasmuch as the final printing cylinder may be of such size that it can print four pages of a newspaper or magazine, four negatives of one separation'color, but of different subjects, are assembled to form a suitablelayout. This is ac-. complished by fastening one negative of the'set of four different negatives to an arm of a general-.1 1y H-shaped glass frame." The master assembly formed by the H-shaped trameand the negative fixed to'one arm thereof issuperimposed 11 1 "a! glassfplateupon which a correspondin positive from one set of separation negatives is laid."

Two of the arms ofth'e glass frame are pro'-. vided with apertures and-the glass plate is pro-g vided with a pair of lugs which are received within the apertures in the arms of the H-shaped frame to thereby locate the H-shaped frame thereon=- l With the separation positive beneath the sepf arationnegative, the positive is adjustedinto reg: ister with the negative and taped to the glass plate,- after which the masternegative assembly is removed.

The other negatives which form four different pages of the assembly, are successively taped-to difierentarms of the- H-shaped frame andthe positives assembled on the glass plate in a. like accurately between the o's it pQ ins he ca b n t su [it s ne essary to'cut pieces of glass to n11 th spaces between the sembled positives, spa es, between the positive are a w ys f th we ar a and. as qns ema the la sjfi strips must be in;- dividually cut to shapeilan ze so that they fit her e; in ts, the full time work large printing establis Of n o mo e men s re i ed .ni i' 'ir 5 Cut th glas t ms ath et s to. li batwe n the e itiv i reby c nsiderab y ie r aeine costs? Pres ar no th 'pri it e r. nde sy A more serious disadvantage of the present a ic i tha when a late has be n made 1 pr a in m s in cylinde whi h W l r t for le! @9 4 ages Qfa ma a ine r wspa it'i$' .I, DQ 1 ima e, this plat i o t om let l tear s do n all of th s t i a s n reae mbli is' hem de c ib d ab ve! en th color Pla s a e 9 b us d P ep re ing cylinders to be used in printing newspapers nd ma a n in, difie nt Pa s f he time u te ofte h rrenst ia t e must? shamed, for the reason that the issue or" the newspaper may be nnedw ha t ,e r W k 9: se other than those provided by the color layout plates. Thereforefsuch changes astransposition of one of the positives to a different location on the master plate require all of the plates to be manner by registeringth'em with the master neg ative assembly, thus forming a four page, singlecolor layout. w v v Glass members are'then'cut tofit between the assembled positives to provide a smooth surface which will not bend thesinc plate carrying the carbon tissue to be printedby contact with the assembled positives.

After the carbon tissue hasrbeen exposed, it is transferred to a printing cylinder which is .then stagedand etchedin the usual manner. 1 Wh s icated o rt i o edu e, is en a used; it a a num e 9 di ad an a es, from a production standpoint, thatare rather see rious. :In the first place, inasmuch as the positiyes are assembled upon a hat glass plate anda smootbasnr aoe is requ red to P sti e 9 s ing cylinders.

torn down and reassnibledQthus multiplying the work re'quired in preparing the printing cylinclersl The same thinghappen's when, for example, one of the plates is broken, In order to duplicate the broken plate, itis necessary; to re assemble all of the plates to assure register of the various color separation positives s'o-that the printing-cylinders prepared will print in register. An object-of the present invention is to provide a method of preparing printing cylinders which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior method described above, I

Another object of the invention is to provide a simplified methodof assembling color separation positives which permits the sets of positives to be assembledand registered individually instead ofingroups. i i, a further object-of the invention is toprovide a method of assembling sets of,v separation positives which permits ready duplication of or rearrangement of the subject matters on the print- Other objects oi the invention will become apparent from the description of-a typical form oi p o e m odvins' he inven point of the baij'l I.

various separation positives of, for example, one color set are registered with a master layout including one of the separation negatives and the positives themselves are provided with registering means which assures their accurate location in a master assembly.

Inasmuch as each of the separation positives is provided with a registering means, it can be disposed in any desired position relative to the;

other separation positives or can be interchanged with them, thereby permitting a layout to .be prepared, disassembled or rearranged while omit ting the preliminary steps ofregistering the positive with the negative. Moreover,. the positives can be exposed individually to, the carbon tissues, 7

and it is unnecesssary to build up a layout plate I face of the positive.

with interposed glass strips in order toprovide a flat surface for contact with the carbon tissue on the zinc plate.

For a better understanding of the present in-.

vention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which V Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device used for registering a negative and a corresponding separation positive and for positioning .aregistering means on the positive;

Fig; 2 is a 'view in'section taken 'on line '2 '2.

of Fig. lpartly broken away; i

Fig. 3 is a perspective view disclosing a method of applying the 'carbon'tissue oi a backing plate to the positive forexposing' the carbon tissue;

Fig. 4 is a view in section taken on line 5 -4 of Fig. 3 and Fig.5 is a diagrammatic viewshowing a meth-' of the lines or the'print, one of the negatives at; for example, a yellow separation negative, is fixed to a'frame (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) which consists of a metal bar H having an upstanding flange l2 thereon permitting it to be gripped and manipulated; The bar ll has a pair of glass stripsfls fixed to. its lower surface to which the separation negative is secured as by means of strips of tape lq; The negative Wis fixed in a predetermined relationship to the bar: t i, for

example, its center maycoi'ncide withthe center The bar H is provided at each end with the apertures 15 whichconstitute elements foraiding in the registeringof the separation positive 16. In registering of, the positive ltwith the negative ill, the latter is placed on tpp of the positive. it andmoved until the lines ordes g is thereon coincide perfectly. When this is accomplished, the lugs H, which are secured to a pieee of thin tape i8 and have been placed n the apertures l5 of the bar II, are securedtightly to the surface of the positive l6. a

When these lugs I! have been secured to the positive, it will .beapparent that the positive will always be in register with the negative when the lugs ll are inserted in the apertures l5.

Each of the separation; positives of the set corresponding to the negative l0 istreated in a like manner, thereby producing, for I example, three separation positives, each of whiclrregisters accurately with the separation negative I0.

procedure is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

Inasmuch as the separation positives i6 register with the separation negative I0, they will also register with each other on any device which has apertures corresponding to the location of the P apertures IS on the bar H.

Advantage is taken of this arrangement of the lugs ll iii'pr'eparing the carbon tissues from which the printing cylinder is prepared. This The positive IS with the positioning lugs i7 thereon is placed within a metal frame .19, the upper surface of which lies flush with the upper sur- This assembly is laid upon a printing table so that light may be flashed through the positive in order to expose the car- 'bon tissue 20 which is secured by gummy material to one face of a zinc plate 2 i. The zinc plate 2| is provided with a pair of apertures 22 which are spaced the same distance apart as the apertures I5 in the bar H towhicl ftlie negative 16 7' is secured. Eachzinc plate 21 upon which a carbon tissue print is made, is provided with. apertures of similar location and spacing. Thereforefwhen the zinc plate'2l with the carbon tissue 26 is laid on'top of the positive It with the'lugs l1 disposed in the apertures 22, the re-.

sulting exposure upon the carbon tissue will have a definite'relationship' to the registering apes,

tures 22. a

It will be understood that the carbon tissue 20 has been exposed to a screen of suitable type prior to its exposure to the positive it so that the result ofthe exposure is a screened carbon tissue negative, such as is'comm'only used in the preparation ofprinting cylinders.

After the carbon tissue 20 has been exposed, the zinc plate 2i is transferred to the laydown machine which,. as illustrated, .'may consist of a frame 23 having bearing supports for the axles 25 ofacopper surfaced cylinderf26. The: frame 23 also supports for vertical movement a second roll 21 havinga resilient surface for pressing the zinc plate 2|"into contact with the cylinder26, When l V the cylinder is wetted the carbon tissue 20 will adhere to the cylinder and be stripped from the plate 2! as. it isdrawn between the cylinder 26 and the roll 27. The plate 2| is positioned. accurately with respect to the cylinder 26 by neans of the bar 28 which is provided with apertures for receiving the dowels 29 spaced exactly the same. as the apertures 22 in the zinc plates 2!. To apply the carbon tissue to the cylinder, the roll 21 is raised and the dowels 29 are passed through the apertures 22 into the apertures in the bar 28.-; The plate 2| is then positioned in a predeter:

mined relationship with respect to the cylinder 26. The roll 21' isthen lowered forcing 'the edge.

portion of the zinc plate 2|" against the cylinder 26. The dowels 29 are removed and thecylinder likewise be applied to the cylinder 26' either suc'- cessively'or in groups by locating them in other positions on the bar 28hr by starting them onto the cylinder at a different zone. "In this way, four pages of one separation color may be applied to the surface of the cylinder. In a similar way, four pages of another separation colorcan be applied to another cylinderwith the assurance that arr-34,145: the'carbon tissues will be in correspondingi positions on the ..several cylinders'. i i After the carbon tissues. have been applied to the cylinders'ZB, they maybe developed-staged'in the usual way by applying an acid-resisting material to the portions not to be etched and the remainder of the surfaces etched'to produce printing surfaces. 1

With thecylinders prepared in this 'way, .each of'the positives having been so arranged initially that they will have correspondingly positioned registering means and each of the latter'successive steps maintaining this registered position, the cylinders themselves will print exactly in register on a web when accurately adjusted in the printing press, thereby assuringthe' produc tionofcleanQsharp color prints. I a I The principal advantage" o-fthe pio'ce'ss de-' scribed above is that each positive and the'carbon tissue prints may behandled separately and thus the carbon tissue; prints may be located upon the bar 28 in any desired position according to the desired layout of the magazine or the newspaper. In any event, the various carbon tissues made from the separation positives of the same subject, if located in the same relationship to the bar 28 by the dowels 29, will be accurately transferred to the several printing cylinders. This permits the newspaper or magazine to be laid out by the publisher in any desired order without the necessity of going through all of the steps which would normally be required for preparing the entire layout from the initial assembly of the negatives and positives.

In addition, the difiicult and skill-requiring task of preparing the master layout on a glass plate is entirely eliminated and the danger of disorganization of the master plate by breakage is than could be obtained by the prior processes.

It will be apparent, moreover, that other mechanical agencies may be used for registering the various elements used in the process and that the order of operations may be varied without de-' parting from the invention. Therefore the process and apparatus described above should be considered as illustrative only and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a process for preparing printing cylinders, the steps of placing a positive transparency of a subject in register with a negative of said subject having registering means thereon, applying registering means to said positive transparency complemental to and interfitting with said registering means on said negative, exposing a carbon tissue through said positive transparency. while said registering means on said positive transparency interfits with complemental registering means fixed to said carbon tissue, and applying said to and interfitting with the registering means on said negative while each of said positivesand l the: 'negativeare-in register; exposing. c.arb.0n;.tis-

sues: through: said: positives. while the; registerinsi means: on ea'clnipositive interfits with complies mental registeringflimeans fixed to. said carbon: tissues, and applying said carbon tissues directly to difierent. cylinders. 3. I r

In a process. for, preparing; printing; cyiinders', thetsteps-of placing positivetransparencies, of, difierent isubjiects successively in register with negatives-of the corresponding subjects and. (iiiferent carbon tissues, said negatives and carbon tissues having corresponding-1y positioned registering. means fixed thereto, applying: to said positive transparencies registering .means complementary to" and interfitting witlrthe registering meansfixed to said corresponding negatives while; in contact with said negatives, exposing said, carbon tissues through said positive transparen-- cies, temporarily locating said exposed carbon; tissues in different positions ona laydown means by locating means complemental to and interfit ting with said registering means on said carbon tissues, and transferring said carbon tissues to different areas of said cylinder to produce a complete layout of said different subjects.

4. A process for preparing printing cylinders adapted to print a plurality of subjects comprising registering a positive of a subject with a negative of said subject having registering means:

aflixed thereto, applying to-said positive a registering means complemental to and interfitting with the first-mentioned registering means while said negative and positive are in register, exposing through said positive a carbon tissue having registering means corresponding to the registering means fixed to said negative while the regis-' tering means on said positive and said carbon tissue are in alignment, producing a second exposed carbon tissue of a different subject having registering means thereon, applyingsaid carbon 5. A process for preparing printing cylinders,

comprising registering a plurality of positives of different subject matters with corresponding negatives of said subject matters, fixing to said corresponding negatives and positives complemental and interfitting registering means, exposing cartions to form a desired multiple subject layout,

and etching said cylinder.

6. In a process for preparing printing cylinders, the steps of placing a transparent photographic reproduction of a subject in register with another photographic reproduction of said subject having registering means thereon, applying registering means to said transparent reproduction complemental to and interfitting with said registering means on said another reproduction, exposing a carbon tissue through said transparent reproduction while said registering means on said transparent reproduction interfitswith complemental registering'means fixed to said carbon tissue, 'locating 'said tissue. temporarily on a lay-,- downmeans by locating means complemental to and'interfitting with said registering means on said tissue, and-transferring said tissue from saidlaydown means to a cylinder. e i it 7. In a process for preparing printing cylinders,

' the steps of placing successive transparent'colorseparation positives of aisubject in registerflwith aseparation negative of said subject having reg-v isteringmeans fixed thereto, fixing to said positiveslregistering means complemental to and interfitting with the registering means onisaid negativewhile said positives are registered with said negative, exposing carbonvtissues through said positives while the registering means on each positive interfit with complemental registering meansjfixed to said carbon tissues, locating each tissue temporarilyon a laydown means by locating. means complemental to and interfitting with said registerin'g means'on said tissue, and transferring each tissue from said laydown means to a difieren't cylinder, 7

and 'interfittingrwith the registering means fixed tosaidnegatives while in register with said negae tives, exposing said carbon tissues through said separation positives awhile registered therewith, temporarily locating said tissues in different positions, on a laydown means by locating means complemental to and interfitting with said registering means on saidtissues, and, transferring said carbon tissues to diiferent areas of said cylinder'to produce a complete layout of said different subjectsrof the same separation color. I

" HAROLD BLAAUBOER.

JACK CAHN. 

